Fitzmaurice becoming a master tactician, says Brolly

Kerry boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice is on track to become one of the greatest managers of his generation, according to RTÉ pundit Joe Brolly.

The widely-held belief was that the Kingdom were a side in transition following a series of high-profile retirements over the past 18 months.

However Fitzmaurice has confounded the experts by fast-tracking a youthful side to a Munster title this season, and on Sunday, his charges snatched a draw against Mayo in a thrilling All-Ireland Ireland semi-final.

And Brolly admits that he is a huge fan of the Finuge man.

“I watched the game again since Sunday and I have to say that Kerry is playing at an extraordinary level, a level I did not think they were capable of playing at and at a level that I think the vast majority of Kerry supporters did not think that they were capable of,” Brolly told Radio Kerry.

“At the time, on Sunday evening, I thought that Mayo had come out of it better but now I believe that Kerry have actually come out of it better. I think that the confidence the young players will get will be immense.

“I think Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s marshalling of the team has been nothing short of incredible. I thought after Jim McGuinness and that extraordinary experiment of his with Donegal, that we’d never see the like of it again in Gaelic football, or that we would not see a young manager again like that for a generation. But Eamonn Fitzmaurice is starting to prove me wrong.”

Meanwhile Brolly believes that serious questions need to be asked of the GAA following the controversy surrounding the replay venue. The former Derry star is fearful the commercial arm of the GAA has become too strong. His solution? “What we need to do now is to set up a task force under the new president and we need to look at what amateur means, what our ideals are. What do we believe in — do we believe in any of our core values any more? Decisions are being made behind closed doors and even officials from county boards don’t know. They are done we are told for commercial reasons, and there is a general feeling among many that the commercial juggernaut has left the station.”